And this week's new flavour is... (*drumroll*)... Salted Caramel & Hazelnut! Salted Caramel is one of our pretty-much-always-in-patisserie-case flavours, and we thought we'd try giving it a nutty twist. We are reeeaaaaallly happy with this one—it's a must-try. So... come try it!! :) It's now available at all Bon Macaron Patisseries.

Salted Caramel (much like macarons!) is a tradition from France that hit global markets as a big, sudden trend... but then never went away because, really, it's just too darn wonderful and delicious to let go of. If you're curious about how salted caramel first broke into the global culinary spotlight The New York Times, God bless them, has a very in-depth article about this, and apparently macarons help pave the way:

In the case of salted caramels, the influence came directly from France. Heavily salted butter caramels are a traditional treat in Brittany. More recently, Pierre Hermé, the Parisian pastry chef known for his experimentation, invented a salted caramel macaron that inspired a small cult among American food professionals in the late 1990s.

Hello Friends! We have three good things to tell you. It's the weekend. We have Ginger Pineapple Macarons for you—sweet and warming little bites to make winter just a bit more bearable! 🍍🍍🍍 AND we still have a couple of last minute spots open for today's Macaron Class in Victoria!! Give us a call at (778) 265-0850 or email vic@bonmacaronpatisserie.com to join us! You can find more information about our classes here: http://www.bonmacaronpatisserie.com/classes/

We felt like it was time for another round of some luscious berries :) There are some really lovely ripe, juicy flavours in these ones! And this may be a bit of a stretch... but it seems like a great opportunity to recommend the blackberry dessert wines from Cherry Point Estate Vines in the Cowichan valley. (See what we did there??) Both their Cowichan Blackberry and Solera Blackberry are just lovely for sipping on a cozy fall evening—and they are also pretty delish poured over some natural vanilla ice cream... with a Blackberry Cherry Macaron tucked in the side of the bowl...

"Solera is produced by taking our Cowichan Blackberry Dessert Wine and gently applying the special Solera aging process, giving the wine time to age in barrels, making it elegant and smooth, combining delicate wood notes and rich mellow fruit."

"This rich, sweet wine is produced from the luscious wild blackberries that abound in the estuary of the Cowichan River. This is an intense fruit wine, which reflects the warmth of the Cowichan summer. Enjoy it on its own or with a rich dessert."

Our latest flavour is just like a comforting mug of hot cider! If mugs of cider were small, round, really pretty and full of buttercream blended with apple compote and cinnamon...

Cinnamon is such a quintessential fall spice, and it has a very long, illustrious and colourful history! Here are a few fun and interesting cinnamon facts for your enjoyment:

1. Cinnamon comes from the bark of the cinnamon tree.2. The cinnamon tree can grow up to 60 feet.3. Cinnamon sticks are also called quills.4. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon medicinally and as a flavouring in food and beverages.5. Cinnamon was used on funeral pyres in Ancient Rome. In 65 AD, Nero burned a year’s supply of cinnamon at his second wife Poppaea Sabina’s funeral in order to show the depth of his grief.6. Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant that aids in controlling blood sugar.7. In the Middle Ages, cinnamon was only affordable by the wealthy elite of society. A person’s social rank could be determined by the number of spices they could afford.8. Cinnamon compliments both sweet and salty dishes (and drinks).9. And this last one is a doozy, but is pretty fun: There was an ancient belief in a Cinnamon Bird that supposedly lived in Arabia, and used cinnamon to build its nests. Herodotus wrote that these birds flew to an unknown land to collect the cinnamon and took it back with them to Arabia. The Arabians ostensibly got cinnamon from the birds by tempting them with large chunks of raw meat—the birds took the heavy pieces of meat back to their nests, which caused the nests to fall and the cinnamon to rain down so it could be collected by the people.

It's officially starting to feel like fall, which is very exciting. We love all things fall-ish! To celebrate the changing season, this week's new Chai Latte Macarons are filled with a white chocolate ganache that's been infused with classic chai spices.

Tea is such an ancient an varied custom, and this represented beautifully in the little collection of photos Conde Nast has published, representing tea rituals around the world. We'd recommend taking a moment out of your day to check it out!

Our new flavour this weekend is like a trip to France via the Okanagan. (The Francanagan?) We're so lucky to have amazing summers full of local fruit in BC—including both cherries and pears. While not everyone can have a whole orchard to call their own, a fruit tree or two can provide you with an abundance of juicy goodness. We found this neat little article from House & Garden TV that's kind of a nod to the tiny house movement: Plant a Tiny Orchard. A bit of patience is required, but don't worry. You can snack on adorable Cherry Pear macarons while you wait. Or, at least, you can for the next month or so while they're in the patisseries!

Along with wine culture, cheese culture, and dessert culture, France has a pretty serious coffee culture, so much so that a cup is often just not enough, and a bowl is required. This facilitates the dunking of a baguette slathered in butter and strawberry perseveres. Mmm... Lucky for us West-Coasters, though, a macaron fits easily into any cup, mug, or latte glass! And to be fair, coffee really is an international tradition. Our latest macaron flavour—Vanilla Latte—was created in honour this buzzy, beautiful beverage, in all its forms. Most of which we have listed for you below, just for fun, because there are SOOOOO MANY!! 😶

Our latest flavour is Passion Fruit Hazelnut! They're made with butter cream that's been whipped with passion fruit compote and hazelnut paste, and they a have generous, crunchy sprinkling of freshly ground hazelnuts. We hope you like them!!

It's the weekend! Which means YOU deserve a cheeky "Rum & Coke" Macaron covered in effervescent silver speckles :) If you were thinking of indulging in the liquid variety this weekend, you'll be happy to know that the Huffington Post has done some extensive research on the best rum to have with your coke. The full article and list of winning/losing rums is here, but this is the upshot:

First, we learned that high end rum does not make a better rum and Coke. The nuances in expensive rums are often masked (and sometimes altered) by the Coke, rendering it useless. Also, bottom shelf always tastes like bottom shelf — it’s somewhere in between that had the best results. Second, we found that many rums add their own unique flavor notes, like coconut or vanilla, that made the rum and Coke a different drink entirely. And third, we learned that bottom shelf rum is giving rum and Cokes a terrible name. Find out which rums make the best rum and Coke, and give this classic drink another goFirst, we learned that high end rum does not make a better rum and Coke. The nuances in expensive rums are often masked (and sometimes altered) by the Coke, rendering it useless. Also, bottom shelf always tastes like bottom shelf — it’s somewhere in between that had the best results. Second, we found that many rums add their own unique flavor notes, like coconut or vanilla, that made the rum and Coke a different drink entirely. And third, we learned that bottom shelf rum is giving rum and Cokes a terrible name.

Blueberry Cheesecake Macarons! These blue-eyed beauties feature real blueberries and sweet cream cheese. They are *quite* a bit lighter than actual cheesecake, much easier to eat with your hands, and every bit as delicious! Now, we do love actual cheese cake. And we particularly love New York Cheesecake, but France of course has its own incredible version, in the Tarte Au Fromage Blanc from the Alsace region of France. We found a fantastic classic recipe on The Happy Foodie blog, by Racheal Koo, as well as this one below that incorporates applesauce, from Martha Stewart.

DIRECTIONS 1. Dough: Mix together flour, sugar, yeast, water, egg yolk, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until a dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Add butter, and mix until incorporated, about 3 minutes (dough will be sticky). Transfer dough to a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough, cover, and let rise 30 minutes. Refrigerate dough, still in bowl and covered, until firm, about 2 hours. 2. Punch down dough. Roll out into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a buttered 9 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing dough up to rim of pan. Prick dough all over with a fork, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise 30 minutes. 3. Filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lowest position. Whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and the flour. Whisk together farmer cheese, creme fraiche, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla; stir in sugar mixture, then butter, with a wooden spoon. 4. Beat egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Raise speed to medium-high, and gradually sprinkle in remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until medium glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Fold half the egg whites into cheese mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites. 5. Spread applesauce in crust, and pour filling on top of applesauce. Bake 30 minutes, then check crust; if it is starting to brown significantly, tent edge with foil. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and filling is puffed, golden, and just set (it should barely wobble when very lightly shaken), about 25 minutes. Let cool, undisturbed, on a wire rack 1 hour. Unmold tart, and let cool at least 30 minutes. Tart is best served slightly warm but can also be served at room temperature.

We're kind of in love with our new flavour, Apricot Pistachio. First of all, a pistachio fact: remains of the Atlantic pistachio and pistachio seed, along with nut-cracking tools, have been discovered in the Middle East and dated by archaeologists to 78,000 years ago! The ones we use are somewhat more fresh. But one of our favourite things about macarons is how infinitely versatile they are, for such small, simple things. Not only are there endless flavour possibilities, but there's so much you can do with colour and decoration. We obviously went the marbling route with our Pistachio Apricot macarons, and we are really happy with the results. Marbling techniques might not be as old as pistachios, but they do date back over a 1000 years!

’Tis the season to celebrate, so our latest macaron flavour is Champagne! Nothing quite beats bubbly for making any moment a special occasion. And for the quieter evenings, we'd like to recommend a recent Netflix pick: A Year in Champagne . Any oenophile (or, really, anyone who enjoys a bit of fizz) will find this documentary facsinating. True to its name, it covers a year in the renowned Champagne region of France, following a range of producers, from Bollinger to tiny ancestral vineyards. And regardless of whether you're toasting with friends, or curled up with Netflix, our champers-flavoured macarons will be a perfect accompaniment!

Ok, we know it's not quite December yet, but... Gingerbread!! This is a little teaser for our 2015 Holiday Collection—gingerbread is now available in all the shops! And to be fair, it is kind of feeling wintery out there these days.

According to our friends at wikipedia, Gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis. By the 15th century, Germany had its very own Gingerbread Guild, and by the 17th century Nuremberg was known as the "Gingerbread Capital of the World" for the works of edible art it was creating with the spiced bread! If you'd like to try your hand at this illustrious foodstuff—and the even more glorious (we think) tradition of shaping it into adorable houses—Martha Stewart, as always has some good tips for you.

We thought you could use something extra pretty to keep your spirits up on this classically cloud-filled West Coast weekend. So… our latest flavour is Peach Cardamom. We took the sweet juiciness of peach and delicately laced it with earthy, comforting cardamom. There are apparently references to cardamom in the Spice Tablets found in the House of Sphinxes in Mycenae, and it currently happens to be the most expensive spice in the world after saffron and vanilla, so these truly are little bites of luxury ;) Also, the family of plants that cardamom seeds belong to (Elettaria and Amomum) have such lovely flowers—pink, like these macarons!

Happy Halloween!! We have 3 excellent reasons for you to brave the weather this dark and stormy All Hallow’s Eve.
1) Our new flavour this week is CARAMEL APPLE. (We're kind of excited.)

2) We've finished our hand-decorated Spooky Macarons!

3) Bon Macaron Trick or Treating is officially in effect!! Kids under 12 in costume get a free macaron and big kids—otherwise known as adults—in costume will find an extra macaron in every 6 pack they purchase!

We're open today until until 6 today in Victoria and Kits, and until 7 at Granville Island so you've still got time to stock up on treats!

We put sooo much flavour in this week’s new macaron: Strawberry Grapefruit Verbena. Your tastebuds won’t even know where to begin, but we promise it will be a delightful and delicious experience! The verbena is from our friends at Happy Valley Lavender Farm, just outside Victoria. Verbena is an amazing and super versatile little leaf and Martha Stewart, bless her, has a whole range of simple recipes and projects that use it. A few that stood out for us were:

We’re very pleased to offer you Chocolate Orange Macarons! These pretty orange macaron shells are filled with chocolate orange ganache and decorated with chocolate stripes.

The orange flavour got us thinking, funnily enough, about orangeries. Orangeries are the ancestors of modern green houses, and they are beeeeeautiful. They were first built in Renaissance Italy, not long after oranges themselves were introduced to Europe. There were essentially either a room or separate building that was dedicated to sheltering delicate citrus trees during the relatively harsh European winters. Originally a purely practical matter, they soon grew in status to become luxurious architectural elements that conveyed the prestige and wealth of their owners, and they protected a variety of exotic plants. According to Wikipedia, “Owners would conduct their guests there on tours of the garden to admire not only the fruits within but the architecture without. Often the orangery would contain fountains, grottos, and an area in which to entertain in inclement weather.” One of the most famous orangerie is the one at Versailles. Built in the 1680s (before the palace itself!) it is still in use today, housing over a thousand trees—primarily orange—which are moved outside in their wooden planters between May and October. Can you imagine a more perfect place to nibble your way through a box macarons... and maybe a bottle of something bubbly? :)

It wouldn't be September without a bit of Pumpkin Spice. :) Our Pumpkin Spice Macarons are filled with real pumpkin puree that's been whipped with buttercream, and they have a generous dusting of delicious, sweet spice on top. We recommend pairing these with a scuffle-y walk through a sunny park full of trees that have colourful crunchy leaves!

"First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes." And THEN he ate some Carrot Cake Macarons!

Doesn’t this fall-ish air smell wonderful?? We’re kicking off root vegetable season with some Carrot Cake Macarons. As with the cake we’ve used real bits of carrot throughout, and we’ve whipped up a cream cheese frosting filling. We think even Peter Rabbit would approve! The mischievous bunny is well over 100 years old now—he was created in 1893 by Beatrix Potter, in a letter she wrote to cheer up a young boy who was ill. So sweet! Peter Rabbit has since made an appearance on everything from spoons to television specials, but the little book itself will never lose its magic.